Frozen Time
by Nekotite
Summary: A story of how Rem and Ram came to become strong, reliable servants at the Roswaal mansion. Their lives after the tragic fire weren't easy. They faced fierce internal struggles, attacks from the Witch Cult, and a new life in a completely different setting. However, Rem and Ram had each other, and they would do anything to keep it that way. Action/Suspense, featuring Rem.
1. Chapter 1

This is the story of what Rem goes through after that tragic night many years ago. Lots of action and suspense. Aiming to make it around 10k~15k words.

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Rem gripped the handle of the flail in her right hand and the spiked ball in her left. Joined by a length of chain, the weapon was heavy; heavier than any knife, mop, or any other tool she had ever held. But it was a tool nonetheless. A tool, Rem told herself, she needed to master.

 _To protect what I love, what I hold important._

And holding that thought in her mind, she let the spiked ball fall. Before letting it hit the ground, she twirled and snapped her right hand forward. The chain whipped through the air, dragging the incredibly heavy spiked ball after it. Rem felt her wrist straining, succumbing to the weight of the flail. She gritted her teeth and pushed.

 _I must. I must. I must!_

With a yell, she _pushed_. On the opposite side of the lawn, another one of the many remaining wooden targets erupted in a plume of dirt and splinters. The ball thudded into the ground a short distance away, leaving a small crater in the grassy lawn. Shoulders heaving, Rem straightened up to survey the damage.

The soft glow of the dying sun shimmered off the windows of the Roswaald manor and basked the lawn in orange. The usually carefully maintained turf was torn up, with wooden pieces of all sizes littering the scene. Dozens of crater holes from the flail spotted the grass. On one unsuccessful attempt the ball had crashed into the white path beside the lawn, sending fragments of shattered bricks everywhere.

Of the thirty-two wooden dummies that had been set up, Rem had destroyed ten in two hours. Even though the slightest blow of the heavy spiked ball was enough to reduce the dummies to rubble, Rem had gotten through less than a third of the goal for the day. The remaining dummies seemed to leer at her, admonishing her lack of strength and ability.

If only you were as strong as your sister, they jeered. If only you had lost your horn instead of her. If only your sister had been born a single child.

Rem sank to the ground. Tears blurred her vision, and her arms trembled in equal amounts of exhaustion and frustration. She'd been practicing the flail for close to two months already, but she hadn't progressed at all these last couple of weeks. It seemed that there was some trick that was eluding Rem but day after day she could not crack its mystery. Hopelessness and cold despair surged through her veins, sending her thoughts spiraling out of control.

 _If... If my sister still had her horn... she could..._

Her fists clenched in her lap. Try as she might, Rem couldn't stop thinking in what ifs.

 _If I'd been the one to lose my horn...  
_

Her self-admonishing thoughts were interrupted by a familiar, cool yet kind voice.

"Rem, are you finished with practice?" Rem's older twin sister asked from behind her. "I'll start repairing the path while you get cleaned up. We can leave the lawn as it is."

Always composed, beautiful, independent. That was her sister. While Rem was not so good at anything, Ram had always excelled. It had taken a mere week for her sister to come to terms with her hornless condition; she had then thrown herself into household chores with a diligence that put other servants to shame. Ram was always stronger than she.

 _I can't be like this in front of her... weak, talentless... even though she's lost far more than me._

But the words that spilled from Rem's mouth reflected none of what she wanted to be.

"Onee-chan, I... I can't do it. No matter how hard I try..." she sniffled. "Even such a simple thing like this..."

A moment later, Rem felt the soft warmth of her sister's chest against her back. Two arms encircled her from behind, ever so gently, lovingly.

"It's okay, Rem. I know you can do it. I believe so, even if you don't." Her sister murmured. The dying sunlight caught the water dancing in the fountain and threw twinkling orange glimmers across the lawn. Two hawks circled above, playfully pirouetting amongst the brilliant clouds.

Rem closed her eyes and clutched at her sister's arms, drawing comfort from the warmth, tears coursing down her cheeks and plopping onto her maid uniform. She felt the embrace tighten and her sister's chin come to a rest on her shoulder. The twin oni stayed like that until the sun slid under the skyline of trees in the distance, turning the sky to a deep azure blue.

The piece of ice within her heart remained still.

* * *

The next day, Rem woke up exactly at six. She took a quick shower and ate a small meal of bread and leftover stew from the night before. Then, promptly at half past six, she started her daily household maintenance routine. They involved cleaning out the trash, making breakfast, watering the indoor plants, mopping the corridors, and wiping windows. For five hours she worked mindlessly yet efficiently, toasting the bread to perfection, making the floor spotless, not missing a single windowpane. It was a way to take her mind off things that she didn't want to think about. Memories she didn't want to recall. Time and time again Rem would pass her sister doing other chores, cool and collected. Rem wondered if her sister also worked to forget the pain, to retreat into a shell of automated movements.

But never mind. Rem scrubbed the windows clean, using the exact amount of necessary cleaning solution for each section.

At eleven, she took a short lunch break before starting preparations for Master Roswaal's own lunch. Her sister joined her in the kitchen and together they cut, peeled, and cooked the ingredients.

After standing vigil while their master ate (who congratulated the twins on the meal well made), Rem and Ram went their separate ways for their afternoon duties. For Rem this included cleaning the bedrooms, exchanging linen and towels, and making sure that the pantry was well stocked. Rem dreaded what came next, but as she worked, the time passed steadily until the sun was hanging low in the sky.

At five in the afternoon, Rem stepped out of one of the side doors of the manor. For the next two hours Rem would practice controlling her flail, a gift from her master, while her sister prepared and watched over dinner. Then, every night at seven, the two would study for a few hours in the master library; Beatrice, guardian of the books, would teach them everything from history to literature to spell theory. Master Roswaal insisted that they receive a good education. But for Rem, he insisted that she also learn how to fight.

No, not to fight, but to protect, he had said. I need someone to protect my precious servants and house while I'm away. I'm relying on you.

Rem grasped the handle and spiked ball. The sky was still a warm blue, the air filled with the sweet fresh taste of grass and sunlight. Bird coos and the sound of tinkering water filled the air. She walked along a path until she reached the section of the lawn where she was allowed to train. The lawn had been fixed up and wooden dummies replenished. Closing her eyes and breathing deep, Rem readied herself; then, dropping the spiked ball and twirling, she let fly at the nearest target.

 _I will become stronger. Strong enough to protect Onee-chan from anything._

She swore that she would never be powerless again, as she had been that fateful night when she had lost her parents, home, and even almost her sister.

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 **A short chapter to start us off. Things will pick up in the next chapter. Enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

_2 Months Ago_

 _._

Rem awoke one night to an anxious flutter in her chest. Turning over in her bed, she was met with the sight of an empty bed. Everyone should still be asleep, but where was her sister? She got out of bed, perplexed. There was a strange smell in the air, and muted discordant sounds reached her ears.

 _Onee-chan?_

Cold premonition stole through her body. By the time Rem made it to the door of her room, the young oni was sweating and tense. Her hand found the doorknob. It was warm to the touch. Confused, unable to detect the source of her frightful feelings, she opened the door.

A nightmare greeted her eyes. Her home was burning. Images of her father and mother flashed before her eyes; instinctively, Rem knew that they were dead. Flames leaped and danced before her eyes, consuming the air, edging closer and closer. It devoured chairs and shelves, crawled hungrily up the walls, hissing and crackling.

 _Is... is this hell?_ Rem wondered, a vast emptiness expanding within her. The fire consumed her world, stealing relics of her childhood, memories of her parents. A whicker basket she had helped her mother make lay smoldering on the floor, half unraveled and disintegrating. A painting the twins had made, usually ornamenting the wall above the dining table, fluttered past Rem trailing embers. The flames twisted closer and closer, reaching greedily out to the young blue-haired oni. Her legs gave way and she collapsed onto the floor.

With a start, Rem's searching eyes caught sight of a small slender shadow dancing through a multitude of cloaked figures, twisting around and slicing. The sinister figures charged at the smaller elegant shadow and met their demise one after another.

 _Onee-chan._ Rem's fear for herself turned to concern for her sister. She was surrounded now, a small pink-haired oni within a circle of tall, cloaked shadows. They towered over the girl, red eyes gleaming and dark pointy hoods rippling in the heat. Seemingly unconcerned by the fire around them, the cloaks raised their crooked daggers, aiming to extinguish the young oni's life. The daggers sliced down. Rem froze in fear.

At the last moment, blades of wind cut through the surrounding cloaks and dissolved them into fragments of black fabric that promptly turned to ash.

"Onee-chan!" Rem finally cried, terror and alarm and worry condensing into a single shout. Her sister came running to her side and turned, summoning a barrier of wind around the two oni. After a second, the wind exploded outward and cut through the remaining cloaks with a high, keening sound.

Her savior turned slowly, the single horn protruding from her forehead glowing serenely.

"Rem... I'm glad you're safe." A soft voice, barely audible over the crackling flames. Rem stared up at her sister in helplessness and vulnerability in the way a younger sibling looks up to their older sibling. A moment passed between them, a silent confirmation of each other's wellbeing. The pink-haired oni reached toward Rem to bridge the soundless gap between them. A cue that everything was going to be all right, that she would protect Rem with everything she had.

Yet in that moment, fate dealt one more twisted blow. A shadow rose from the flames much too quickly for either oni twin to react, and in one deafening strike, sent Ram's single horn spinning into the air trailing droplets of blood. Robbed of her power, the elder oni twin collapsed, lying still on the floor. The flames roared in satisfaction.

Tears slid down Rem's face, and unbidden, her mouth twisted into a small smile.

 _It finally broke off._

Years of being inferior, of reaching for standards set by her sister and falling short, of always failing at what her sister accomplished easily. She was free. Free of expectation, free to live her life.

With a gasp, Rem started from the feeling of elation in shock. She'd had never hated herself so much than at that moment. Even while her sister's life hung in the balance, when her home was going up in flames, she had felt alive. And Rem could not forgive herself for that. While the last cloaked shadow turned to ashes before her meager wind magic, while she bundled up her sister and stumbled out the door of their burning home, while she walked past the sights of her ruined village, Rem despised herself. She hated herself for having felt that way. But she could not forget the delight she'd felt when her sister's horn had hit the ground and shattered.  
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* * *

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Rem walked and walked, carrying her unconscious sister. Out of the burning village, down the path that cut through the dark forest. She did not see the feel the moonlight on her shoulders, nor hear the breeze that whispered past. Her heart was heavy with pain and regret, a vast dark lake sending strong waves crashing incessantly against the edges of her consciousness.

They were two lone survivors of the oni village, a single spot of white in the darkness of the trees around them. Rem willed her feet onwards, her bare feet pit-patting across the cooling dirt, her arms straining under the weight of her sister. She had to get somewhere, anywhere. Just away from that nightmare.

The leaves rustled loudly in the wind.

Rem stopped dead in her tracks, cold dread tickling up her spine. The leaves sounded like a muted warning, a smattering of whispers.

 _Danger. Run._

Rem twirled, scanning the forest around them. The woods were still. Nothing moved in the darkness. However, the whispers grew louder.

 _Death. Danger. Run. Run!_

Her breath started coming in short gasps. She desperately gazed into the darkness around, looking for the source of the warnings the leaves were giving her.

Suddenly, _things_ shot out of the forest gloom, frothing and growling, dog-shaped shadows with bright red eyes. Mabeasts. Four, no five hellhounds barreled straight toward Rem and her unconscious sister.

The young oni froze in terror. She knew she had to do something; the only thing standing between these demons and her sister was Rem herself. But her body wouldn't move. Her feet were rooted to the dirt, her arms unmoving, still carrying her sister. The mabeasts drew closer, blood red eyes leaving lines of light in the darkness.

An image of hellhounds swarming over her sister, snapping, biting, tearing, surged into her mind. Horror clenched her heart and gave Rem a spurt of desperate energy. She quickly lowered her sister to the ground and raised a trembling arm toward the charging mabeasts.

"Fula!"

Mana left her palm and condensed into coils of sharp, unyielding air. The lead beast exploded in a cloud of blood as multiple blades of wind spiraled into its body.

But it had been too late. Before she could unleash another spell, the other mabeasts leaped through the red haze and were on her.

A powerful jaw locked onto her right forearm and dragged her off balance, instantly tearing skin and muscles. Rem screamed in agony. Simultaneously, another mabeast tackled her in the chest, sending the oni sprawling in the dirt. The impact drove the air out of her lungs. The beast then promptly bit into her left calve, inhibiting any movement its prey might attempt to escape. She screamed again. The two remaining hounds darted in and started tearing at Rem's stomach and chest to deliver the fatal blow. Blood splattered onto the dirt path.

Burning torment lanced Rem's arm and leg and abdomen. She frantically tried to beat away the hounds with her free arm but her blows glanced off their heads. The jaws clamped on her right arm and left leg were too strong; Rem felt herself succumbing to the waves of agony and the lure of unconsciousness. Growls filled her ears as her struggles grew weaker and weaker.

A sudden keening sound, accompanied by a blast of wind that ruffled Rem's hair. She lay still, wondering if she were dead. It hurt too much for that to be true, she thought. Yet the tugging on her limbs had ceased. Confused, Rem opened her eyes.

Her sister stood over her, slumped and barely keeping herself upright. Blood still trailed from the empty spot in the middle of her forehead, but her sharp pink eyes gleamed with determination. Framed in the moonlight, her sister had never appeared more beautiful.

Fighting the pain and exhaustion following the loss of her horn, Ram had stirred from unconsciousness after hearing Rem scream. Rem drew strength from the fierce protective spirit in her sister's eyes and sat up, looking around.

Another hound had been disintegrated by her sister's magic. The remaining three had jumped back, warily upraising the new foe before them. Puffs of white smoke billowed from the side of their jaws as they growled a challenge.

Rem knew that her weakened, drained sister was no match for them. Even now, after one spell, her sister was on the verge of unconsciousness again. But when Rem tried to stand, her injured leg gave out and she crashed into the hard dirt with a cry.

Sensing a quick victory, the remaining mabeasts charged toward them.

The hounds' red eyes glared in the darkness of the night, dipping and diving as they shot across the path. Froth seethed in the crevices between their sharp, sharp teeth.

Thick red blood stained her clothes and patterned the dirt path.

How dare they take her home and family.

How dare they hurt her sister.

How dare they.

And in an instant, Rem's horn protruded from her forehead, and she felt her sanity slip under the maelstrom of churning emotions.

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"Rem..."

The next thing Rem knew, she was standing over the mutilated corpses of three hellhounds, her horn retracted. Her heart hammered in her chest. Raising her hand, she saw that they were covered in blood. Not her own, but that of the mabeasts. With a gasp, she stumbled back.

"Rem..." A weak voice.

 _Onee-chan!_

Rem froze, fearing the worst. Had the beasts gotten to her sister? In her demon rage, had she struck down the most important person in her life? With mounting horror, she whirled around.

Her twin sister lay on the dirt path. No blood other than the thin trail running from her forehead. Intact. Safe.

Her worried gaze was met by dim, half-open pink eyes. Visibly struggling, the pink-haired oni reached out an arm toward her. Rem fell beside her sister and grasped the offered hand. The blood on her own hand was slick and warm, but Rem felt the tender reassurance from her sister's hand over it.

 _I will protect you._

The deep wounds on her leg, arm, and abdomen had mostly healed, but Rem felt drained. She eased her arms under her sister's body and stood, faltered for a moment, found her balance and started walking again.

* * *

The morning sun found Rem on a small path in the forest, trudging up a shallow incline. Her arms had long turned to wood holding her twin sister's unconscious body. Sometime through the long night, Rem's emotions had fizzled out, leaving only bleakness in their wake. Still, Rem moved on, step after step, glazed eyes seeing nothing but the path directly in front of her.

One foot forward. Another foot. Again. And again.

Rem did not know how long she had walked until her legs gave out. The twin oni crashed into the cold unforgiving dirt. Unable to muster the strength to stand back up, Rem reached out with quivering arms and gathered her unmoving elder twin to her chest.

 _I'm sorry, Onee-chan. Even in the end, I couldn't do anything for you._

Lying there in singed, torn, and bloody traditional clothes, Rem felt the numbness in her heart spread. It stole through her body with long reaching fingers, claiming and stealing all sensations. The feeling of cold hard dirt against her cheek faded, the pain in her legs and arms merely a memory.

As the world gradually faded away, she glimpsed a large shadow stalking toward them in the corner of her vision.

Memories of her sister standing over her fighting pain and exhaustion surfaced in her mind. Rem valiantly tried to shift her head toward the shadow, but her body did not obey. Hours of walking, fighting, and despair had pushed her past any limits long ago. It was nothing short of a miracle she had lasted the night. The shadow drew closer.

 _Fu... la..._

But with depleted mana and energy, her wind blades did not materialize.

Rem lost all sensation and the world turned black.


	3. Chapter 3

**My gratitude to Mr. Guest for reviewing, and to Mr. Legend for reviewing and following. Half of my motivation to write comes from seeing these notifications in my email (the other half comes from the fact that I enjoy writing fiction).**

 **A long chapter today. Enjoy!**

 **.**

* * *

Rem slowly swam upward toward the murky light. Gooey threads tried to hold her down, but she kicked them out of the way. Closer, closer.

Suddenly, she broke through the surface.

And she was sitting up in bed, gasping for breath. The soft gown she was wearing was soaked in sweat, the covers a tangled mess under and over her legs. Trying to calm her racing heart, she took stock of the unfamiliar room.

The walls were creamy white and decorated with golden patterns. Aside from a couple of chairs against the left wall and a painting on the far wall, the room seemed rather bare. Sunlight streamed in through the curtains from the right.

Rem was alone in the room. She shook her head, trying to remember the events leading up to her waking up in this unfamiliar place.  
Like a veil being torn off, her mind filled with images of fire and death. Of pain and exhaustion. Of terror.

She froze, mouth open in a silent scream, unable to break free from the nightmarish scenes playing over and over in her head. Images of pointy hoods, fire, mabeasts, her home, her sister...

 _Onee-chan._ The image of her sister protectively standing over her arose in her mind.

Rem needed to find her sister. Then, Rem would be reassured that all of it had just been a bad dream.

 _Just a dream._

Rem swung her legs out of the bed and felt smooth carpet under her bare feet. She was struck with a ominous sort of déjà vu; the last time she'd left a bed without her sister, she had...

No. Nothing but a nightmare. Her sister would tell her that soon enough.

Still, she faltered at the door of the room, hand on the doorknob. She saw fire twisting and turning, reaching for her with long burning fingers, ominous shadows swaying at the edge of her vision. But the thought of her sister made her strong.

Rem committed and opened the door.

She was faced with an impossibly long corridor to her left and to her right. Doors and vases of flowers seemed to repeat over and over.

"Onee-chan?" Rem called.

Her voice was a lonely echo in the silent corridor.

She started walking down the corridor to the right, passing an identical door every few steps. The floor was cool under her feet. A minute passed, then two, then three. The corridor remained exactly the same.

Rem's breath came faster. She started running, desperately searching for the end of the corridor, darting past closed doors that let off an unwelcome feeling. Tears started to blur her vision.

"Onee-chan!" she cried.

Suddenly, one of the doors ahead swung open. Rem's feet came to a stop in front of it, fear overridden by the image of her sister waiting for her. Unsure, curious, she stepped into the room.

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The first thing she saw was a tall man with his back to her, dressed in a flowing purple cape with long blue hair. There was a small top hat on his head. For intents and purpose, he looked liked a court jester.

Next to him stood a shorter girl with long blond twin tails that corkscrewed down beside her shoulders. She wore a rose velvet dress with pink frills at the hem. If Rem were to guess, she was probably some sort of princess or other class of nobility.

The two strangers were standing over a bed.

Rem edged closer quietly, trying to peer around the two people.

As the figure lying in bed came into view, Rem gasped and threw herself forward. Her sister lay on the bed, covered by a blanket up to her chin. Eyes closed. Only the faint rise and fall of the blanket told Rem that her sister was alive. She reached out to feel her sister's face.

"Not now." A gentle yet authoritative voice stopped her.

Rem looked up at the jester beside her. He was looking down at her with soft mismatched eyes, yellow and blue, a kind look. His face was covered in white make-up except around his eyes, which were decorated with purple strokes.

"She needs to rest. Losing a horn, much less your only horn is hard on your species. I will help her recover some of her power. But for now, she needs to sleep." He said in a peculiar speech pattern, drawing out vowels where they didn't need to be drawn out.

For some unknown reason, Rem didn't doubt his words. But he was making a mistake; her sister hadn't lost her horn. It had only been lost in the dream. She turned back to her sleeping sister. Her face was peaceful.

"Now." The man beside her spoke, "I'm going to work some healing magic. Beatrice, will you show this young girl around?"

And with that, he put two fingers to her sister's forehead. Soft blue light emanated from where fingers met forehead, rinsing her sister's head in a healing aura.

Rem turned back to the man, a silent question in her eyes.

"She'll be fine. Come back in the evening." He turned his attention back to the girl under his fingertips. "She'll be happy to see you."

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Rem was ushered out of the room by the girl named Beatrice.

"I'll show you around, I suppose." The short girl stated dryly. She started walking down the hall, poised and all sorts of elegant. Rem had to take big strides to keep up. Her guide's twin tails bounced mesmerizingly as she walked.

Beatrice seemingly chose a door at random and opened it.

"This is the forbidden library. You won't be able to find it easily, I suppose. I do move around the door leading to this place."

Rem didn't quite understand what that was supposed to mean, but she stepped inside after the girl.

She found herself in the largest library she'd ever been in. The main aisle led past at least half a dozen rows of bookshelves before arriving at a winding staircase that probably led to even more books. Right in front of her was a chair and a small table with a tea set on it.

"This is my home, I suppose. I serve as guardian of this library." Beatrice explained. "As a distinguished magician, Master Roswaal is in custody of many books that should not be easily found by certain parties. This is where they are hidden, I suppose."

 _Master Roswaal?_

Beatrice must have caught the Rem's confused expression.

"You just met Master Roswaal upstairs. Although he dresses like that, he's undoubtedly one of the most powerful magicians in this nation."

Rem stared. That jester was a magician? And not just a magician... but one of the best in Lugnica?

It didn't bear thinking about.

Rem decided to survey the bookshelf closest to her. Books of all colors and thickness were packed tight next to each other. She could see that some books were new, and some old, but some simply ancient. With this much information, it made sense that some of it would be rather dangerous in the wrong hands.

Beatrice turned back toward the door and closed it.

"I'll show you the kitchen next, I suppose."

With that, she opened the door that had just let the two in from the impossibly long corridor.

Rem gasped. Instead of the corridor, she was faced with a spacious, clean kitchen. Gleaming kitchen tools hung from hooks on the wall, and the counters were spotless.

"B-but, the door..." Rem stuttered.

"I can replace any door in this mansion with the entrance to the library, I suppose. That's how I keep the library hidden. It'll take someone half a day to find my door; more than enough time for Master Roswaal to attend to the person, I suppose."

With an indifferent shrug, Beatrice led the way out of the forbidden library.

One yearning burned within the young oni; the desire to see her sister. To reassure herself that the images of fire and death she had seen were naught but a dream.

But Rem couldn't have known what tragedies would ensue when they did reunite.

.

At some prearranged time, Beatrice brought Rem back to the living quarters, though this time instead of being impossibly long, Rem could see the far end of the corridor. And halfway through the hall, an open door.

Rem ran down the hall toward her sister's room, Beatrice slowly following behind.

 _She'll be awake. She'll be okay!_

The thought spurred her on. Rem darted into the room, heading straight for the bed.

And there her sister was, sitting upright against some fluffy white pillows.

"Onee-chan!"

Her sister saw her and smiled.

"Rem, you're here." She replied, audibly relieved. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay! Now that you're well, nothing's wrong."

Rem didn't notice the worrying look that shot through her sister's pink eyes.

"Rem..."

"What's wrong?"

This time, Rem caught the glance her sister threw to the left. She followed the gaze and saw the jester, no, the magician, standing against the wall.

"Onee-chan?"

"Rem." Her sister's voice was kind but urgent. "What do you remember about last night?"

"Well, I don't think there was anything special? We had classes, lunch... oh, in writing class, the teacher-"

"What happened at night?" Her sister interrupted.

"I... I don't know..." Rem replied. She'd had a bad dream, but that was about it.

Her sister paled. She'd been dreading this moment after hearing from the magician that Rem seemed to be in denial about the horrific events of last night. She glanced toward the magician again, who gave her an encouraging nod.

"Okay Rem, this is what happened. Tell me if you start to remember anything." She started. "It started with a loud noise outside that woke me up..."  
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* * *

 _.  
Ram sat up in bed. Had she imagined that sound? It had seemed like a clash of steel on steel, a high-pitched sound that reverberated through the walls. She looked beside her. Rem, her twin sister, was sleeping soundly._

 _"_ _I'll be right back." Ram whispered, and quietly stepped out of bed._

 _She left the house through the front door. It was just before dawn, she believed, and the village was silent. Ram stood there for a minute, wondering why such cold premonition was surging through her body._

 _The leaves rustled._

 _A dog barked._

 _And suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. No, not behind, above._

 _Ram whirled around, just in time to see a black hooded figure drop toward her. In its right hand, the shadow clutched a knife that was pointed directly at the young oni._

 _She had no time to think. Uttering a wind binding, she directed multiple blades of condensed air through the shadow and jumped aside. The body slammed into the ground beside her._

 _A bloody knife lay sticking up in the ground beside it._

 _Ram glanced upward to where the shadow had come from._

No...

 _The window to her parents bedroom was hanging open._

Mother, father..!

 _The assassin had probably seen Ram walk out the door, as he was finishing up in the bedroom. The blood on the knife was surely her parent's blood. She felt light-headed, but another thought crossed her mind._

Rem!

 _Ram was about to charge back into the house when, suddenly, all hell broke loose._

 _Every building around her silently exploded in fiery bouts of flame. The heat wave drove her back for a second._

 _Thoughts of her sister drove Ram forward. Without thinking, she grabbed the knife on the ground. She didn't want to be unarmed if she came across more of the shadow killers._

 _And good thing she did._

 _As she entered the burning house, she was faced by a crowd of black robed figures, each brandishing a knife and a pointy hood. Upon seeing her, they raised their knives toward her and started approaching. Their intention was clear._

 _To kill her._

 _But Ram had a more important thing to do._

 _"_ _Get. Out. Of. My. Way!" She yelled, and darted at the first robed figure. Nothing would keep her from saving her sister. Ram ducked the knife swing and slashed its throat out. The figure disappeared in an ashen cloud. She cut and danced through the multitude of shadows, using wind magic when necessary, the horn on her forehead lending her strength and power._

 _And somehow, Ram was surrounded. The pointy hoods wavered in the heat as they closed in for the killing blow._

 _She gritted her teeth and unleashed a widespread wind spell, slicing the shadows apart._

 _Then, she heard a familiar voice scream her name._

Rem!

 _There, on her knees at the foot of their bedroom door, her sister watched with big eyes. Ram darted over, turned, and unleashed one final spell. Wind spun around the twins, pulsated for a moment, then blasted outwards. It cut apart the last few shadows in the room._

 _Ram turned around._

 _"_ _Rem, I'm glad you're okay."_

 _Her sister stared up at her with wide, teary eyes. Ram reached toward her sister, trying to reassure her that it would be alright, that Ram would protect her despite anything._

 _But the tragedies of the night had far from ended._

 _A shadow rose at the edge of her vision. Before she could react, its blade had sheared through the base of her horn._

 _Instantly, the strength in her limbs evaporated and the world faded to black.  
._

* * *

.  
Ram left out the part where she'd waken up to her sister screaming in agony, and mustering all her strength, sliced apart one of the mabeasts with wind; she didn't want her sister to hear that when Rem had gone into demon mode, she had laughed while slicing apart the hounds.

It had scared Ram. She didn't intend to talk or think about it.

So she turned now to her sister and asked, "Do you remember anything?"

Her sister's face was ashen. It appeared that she knew what Ram was saying. But her answer was one of denial.

"That... that was just a bad dream... It's still there, are home, our village... our parents are still alive!" Rem cried.

Ram winced. Hearing her sister say it with such conviction made her want to believe it as well.

 _I need to her to understand the truth. But how?_

The answer came from the magician leaning against the wall.

"I can take you there. It'll be the quickest way for you to find the truth yourself." He stated. "But be warned, little one. The truth is always hard."

With that, he signaled to Beatrice, who raised a palm toward the far wall.

Space started undulating, swelling, until the air split in two. A massive hole of _nothing_ appeared in front of them.

A portal.

"Rem..." Ram started, trying to appeal to her reason. "Why are we here? What brought us to this place?"

 _She'll be hurt if she sees what remains._

But Rem did not listen. She pulled her sister's hand and led them into the hole. Roswaal and Beatrice followed closely behind them.

 _Rem..._

 _._

The swirling gate deposited the group on a path cutting through dark woods. It was a familiar path. Rem had collected dinner ingredients among the trees just off the path before a bend.

She saw that bend now. The path curved, obscuring the sight of her village.

 _Just around the bend_. Rem thought. _Mother, Father..._

She walked forward slowly.

The cool breeze did nothing to ease her fluttering chest. Her stomach knotted sickeningly. Rem started running, unable to wait any longer.

The leaves rustled in sadness.

A few more steps.

She reached the bend.

The village stood before her. Or rather, what was left of it.

Blackened wood pillars rose hungrily toward the skies, no longer supporting anything; the roofs had fallen into piles of charred rubble. Walls were knocked in, pieces of furniture lay abandoned on the ashy ground. The dying sunlight painted the scene in an eerie shade of orange.

The wind was blowing from her toward the village, but Rem could still smell acrid smoke in the air.

 _My house..._

Rem started walking toward where her home should be, hidden a few plots behind the blackened, hollowed out building that had once been the town hall. The images around her mashed with the scenes from her nightmare. Her head keened in pain.

Still, she trudged forward.

Just a few more steps. How often she had walked this route on her way home from classes to find her cozy home waiting for her?

 _They'll be okay._

She took the final few steps and looked.

The reality contrasted so heavily with the image she'd hoped for that it took a few seconds for it to sink in that this was indeed where her house had stood.

The two-story home had been totally destroyed. The roof and second floor had fallen through, crushing everything in its way and becoming a jumble of charred wood. Part of the far wall was still intact, forlornly standing vigil over the rubble. Familiar corners and pieces of her home littered the ground.

Rem sank to her knees, eyes wide and staring.

 _No..._

The wind rustled her hair from behind and blew a singed, ruined sheet a few steps away.

Something emerging from the rubble under where the sheet had been caught her eye. A motionless, clawed, blackened hand.

 _No. No._

Although the hand was burned beyond recognition, a ring on one of the shriveled fingers was unmistakable. The ring was covered in a film of ash, but Rem knew it to the one her father had made for her mother on their anniversary.

 _"_ _Here you go." Her father grinned, tossing her mother a small ornate box. He winked at the twins. As rehearsed, they jumped up and shouted._

 _"_ _Happy wedding anniversary!"_

 _Their mother, stunned, opened the box. A hand came up to cover her mouth._

 _"_ _This... it's beautiful..!" She removed the ring from its resting place and admired it in the light. The blue, starry ring seemed to suck up the afternoon sunlight and reflect in all directions._

 _Their father walked over, plucked the ring from their mother's fingers, and carefully slid the ring onto their mother's ring finger._

 _"_ _To many more."_

 _They hugged and kissed. The twins squirmed uncomfortably. Seeing this, their parents broke apart and laughed._

Rem felt lost, alone in a swirling turmoil of shock and denial. The clawed, shriveled hand seemed to beckon her forwards. She saw the ring again, for what it really signified.

The direction of the wind shifted. Beside acrylic smoke, the taste of death and magic tainted the air.

The lingering smell of the witch.

In an instant, all of Rem's confusion and fear and denial turned to rage. White hot, burning rage.

 _NO!_

A piece of her heart fractured and froze. Her horn erupted from her forehead.

Rem slipped into darkness as the demon within her burst forth with maniacal wrath. 

* * *

**.  
Author's note: Thanks for reading. I plan to update every 2 or 3 days depending on how focused I can get. Leave a review if you've enjoyed the story so far; let me know what you'd like to see in future chapters. Can't promise anything, but all I have is a broad outline. Anything can happen!**

 **\- Nekotite**


	4. Chapter 4

Ram watched in disbelief and despair as her sister exploded in waves of rage. Wrathful wind swept around her in tumultuous gusts, scattering debris all over place. Her horn crackled with a dark, ominous energy.

All of a sudden, Rem let out a crazed laugh.

"Mabeasts!"

She sniffed the air. With the air of a hunting lion, she turned slightly to her right.

And jumped over the debris of their home, in pursuit of an odor she had sensed.

Fighting the urge to pay solemn respect to where she and her twin had lived all their lives, Ram started running after Rem with Roswaal and Beatrice in tow.

The heartbreak was agonizing. Everywhere she looked, Ram recognized pieces of buildings and landmarks.

All burnt and desolate. Where life had once flourished, there was nothing but ash and blood.

Ram shook her head.

 _Later... I can grieve later. Now, Rem needs me._

As they ran, Ram wondered what they'd do when they caught up to Rem. He sister would probably recognize Ram, but the other two had slim chances. Ram didn't doubt they could protect themselves, but she feared the results of a direct showdown between her twin sister and a powerful magician of Lugnica.

 _Someone's going to get hurt._

But still she ran. Ram wasn't going to let her sister stay a berserker despite the potential harm in stopping it. They could wait it out, but who knew what could happen by the time the phase ended by itself.

In that moment, a howl split the air. It was an aggressive call to arms.

Another joined it. And yet another.

 _Mabeasts..!_

Ram hoped they would get to Rem in time. She had no idea how strong Rem's berserk mode was, but she knew there was a limit. Rem hadn't specialized in fighting magic. Even with the large amounts of mana and strength bestowed to her by her horn, if an oni didn't know how to use it properly, there was nothing to be gained.

 _I'm coming, Rem._

.

The group found Rem in a large yard. The adjacent house had been torched to rubble. In the dim moonlight, Ram could see dark shadows amassing at the far end of the yard.

Six, no seven... more. Even as Ram counted, more lithe shadows joined the mass.

Opposing that was Rem, horn gleaming, standing beside the recently mutilated corpse of a hellhound.

One little girl against a pack of more than a dozen mabeasts.

Fear struck Ram like shattering glass. If they surrounded her sister, even her oni powers wouldn't be able to stop the onslaught.

She turned to Roswaal. He was appraising the situation with a serious gaze.

Without letting his eyes off Rem and the mabeasts, he said, "I'll protect your sister. Don't worry." He glanced at Ram then, and gave her a confident smile that was almost a wink but wasn't. "I promise."

As usual, the particular way he spoke perplexed her, but a promise was a promise. Ram was surprised to feel that she wasn't scared for her sister as much she had been before.

Roswaal turned his attention back to the impending fight, and with the grace of an eagle, jumped into the air. Simultaneously, Beatrice drew Ram backward until they were behind a fallen wood pillar.

"Stay here. We'll be done soon, I suppose."

And with that, the cream-haired girl took off into the darkness.

 _They'll save you Rem, I promise._

.

The battle, if one could call it that, started suddenly. At some hidden signal, the snarling mabeasts threw themselves at the blue-haired oni. They frothed and growled, eyes burning with hunger and promised pain.

The girl smiled, eyes wide with anticipation. Raising her hand, she commanded a wind spell. The first couple beasts were sliced apart by air. So were the next couple. They erupted in a red haze, instantly obliterated by the powerful blades of wind.

But the pack kept coming; in a moment there were five in the air, jaws wide and dangerous, sailing straight for the demon. Sharp teeth glinted in the moonlight.

The little oni didn't back down. She knew no fear, knew no pain.

All she had was a hunger for retribution.

But suddenly, just as the mabeasts were about to bite into the oni, they were struck down in a torrent of fire. Fiery, blazing flames from above. The mabeasts on the ground raced around in confusion and agitation; they met a similar fate. Cinders trailed through the air as corpses smoldered on the ground.

The oni stared up into the night sky.

Who dared to steal her kills? Who dared cheat her of her revenge?

There. In the night sky floated a single figure. A taunting, billowing shadow.

 _Kill._

But as the oni was preparing a hellish blast of wind, she felt a small palm on her back. Before she could turn, a brief fire consumed her. Red hot, it flashed through her body, burning away her demonic power. It was gone in an instant, along with her mana and strength.

Her legs buckled.

As she crashed into the ground, the horn on her forehead disappeared.

Rem felt the darkness closing in; she welcomed it, the absence of emotion and sensation.

 _No more pain._

The world faded away.

.

Back at the mansion, Roswaal lay Rem's motionless body on a bed in one of the many bedrooms available. The young oni looked frail and broken.

"She'll be okay after a night's sleep." The magician spoke, breaking the silence. "She's used a lot of mana, and Beatrice extracted what she had left back at the village."

Ram nodded. The guardian of the books had snuck up behind demonic Rem and taken her mana while Roswaal had captured her attention.

Most importantly, no one had gotten hurt.

Beatrice walked up beside the bed and splayed a hand over Rem's forehead. A blue, cleansing light lit up her sister's sleeping face.

"She'll rest easier with this, I suppose."

With that, the lady strolled toward the door. The magician turned to follow.

Ram finally spoke.

"Excuse me..."

Beatrice and Roswaal turned to watch her.

"I... I can't thank you enough for helping us today." Ram felt tears blur her vision. "Without your help, I don't know what could have happened to Rem and I..." Images of mabeasts attacking her sister and her painful screams swept through Ram's mind, and she swallowed. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

With that, she lowered her head in a bow, hands tight at her sides.

"I did what anyone would have done." It was the magician that answered. Ram looked up. With a kind smile, he continued, "Don't worry about it, and get a good night's sleep. We'll talk again in the morning."

With that, he swept out of the room.

Beatrice gave her a small, perhaps friendly nod and followed the magician out.

The lights automatically dimmed and left Ram alone in the bedroom with her sleeping sister.

Finally, the stress of the last few days seemed to catch up to her. Feeling dull and achy, Ram changed into a clean set of clothes that had been laid out for her earlier.

She climbed into the bed and stared into Rem's tired but peaceful expression. It spoke of pain but acceptance, of exhaustion. Ram caught one of her sister's hands with one of her own. Soft and warm. Alive.

Grasping it tightly, Ram closed her eyes and slept.

* * *

.

Rem awoke slowly. Without opening her eyes, she savored the comfort of the bed. She felt lighter than she had in days. A warm feeling emanated through her body; tracing it, Rem realized that it was coming from her hand. Her hand that was tightly enmeshed with another.

Opening her eyes, Rem came face to face with her sister. Her eyes were closed, but her sister's voice betrayed the idea that she was asleep.

"You're up, Rem."

"Yeah."

"Good."

With that, Ram's eyes opened and held Rem's own.

It was a mutual check-up, an assurance that the other was okay. Usually when this happened, Rem felt comforted and safe, but for some reason its effects were slightly duller today. As if she were feeling these emotions through a thick glass.

But the moment passed and her sister sat up, seemingly reassured of Rem's condition. She scrambled upright as well. Bright sunlight flickered through the waving curtains, throwing dancing patterns on the walls.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Rem thought. Images from the previous night came back to her.

"Yeah..." Memories from while she was in berserk mode were rather patchy, but she didn't need to remember all the details. Still, images of grisly death arose in her mind. Burnt homes, burnt corpses, her dead mother's burnt hand reaching for her.

Rem was suddenly engulfed in her sister's embrace. It swept the disturbing images out of her mind and warmed her core.

"I'll protect you from now, Rem. Even if I don't have my horn, I'll be here for you."

And although Rem drew comfort from those words and hugged her sister back, she felt as though a piece of her heart was encased in ice.

.

Later, after a refreshing bath, the twin oni met with the magician for breakfast. They exchanged simple pleasantries and sat to eat. The meal was a simple affair; toast, butter, a smattering of sautéed vegetables and sliced fruit. They ate quietly. It wasn't an awkward silence, but a silence one didn't want to break.

Finally, the magician put down his fork and leaned forward.

"How are you two feeling?"

After sharing a glance with her sister, Ram spoke. "We're doing fine, Roswaal-sama."

"That's good to hear." The magician said. "Rem, do you remember what happened last night?"

"Y-yeah, I think."

"We had to subdue your rage mode, so Beatrice took your mana. It'll come back over the next few days so not to worry." Roswaal stated.

Rem nodded.

He turned to Ram next.

"However, things are a little more complicated for you."

Ram bit her lip. An oni without a horn was nothing more than a hindrance, a disgrace to the oni clan. Hornless, an oni couldn't use the most basic of spells without overexerting.

Roswaal continued, "As you are, the situation is rather grim. Magic will be hard for you even in small doses."

Even though Ram had known this, it still hurt to have it spoken. She'd always excelled at every spell she'd tried, even dubbed as the prodigy of the clan. But now, in a single night, she'd lost all of that.

But she couldn't be weak in front of Rem. Ram was still her elder sister, after all. She would cope.

But the magician wasn't done.

"Still, there are remnants of your horn in your forehead. This is new territory for me, but with constant mana restocking you should be able to gain some of your strength back."

A ray of hope. Ram knew that big scale spells were out of the question now, but if she could use even the basic wind spells...

"What do I have to do?" She asked, determined. Ram didn't know what she had expected, but she was pleasantly surprised by his answer.

"Come to my study every day. I'll personally refill your mana levels." Roswaal answered, his face enigmatic as ever. If Ram had heard that from anyone else, it would have sounded very shady at best... but from him, it sounded like a genuine offer to help.

And Ram's instincts had never failed her in judging people yet.

After a moment of deliberation, she nodded.

"Thank you."

He nodded back.

"And now, onto the real business." Roswaal leaned forward and rested his chin on his linked hands, wearing a solemn expression.

"As you might have guessed, I want you two to stay here for a while." Looking at Ram, he said, "I will work with you to regain your magic potential." And turning to Rem, "I'll help you control your demon form."

Rem and Ram glanced at each other. It was a tempting offer, but there was one thing Ram wanted to know.

"What will we do in return for your hospitality?" She asked.

The magician spread his arms.

"You'll work for me in this mansion."

Ram must have looked perplexed, because he hastily added, "I haven't had servants here for a long time. Everything is kept through magic, but that takes a toll on me. I have the meals prepared by a nice boy from the village, but it's rather inconvenient for him to come all the way here." He stated. "This is where you come in. You will maintain the mansion and prepare meals. That's all."

Again, Rem and Ram exchanged a glance. Housework they could do, as well as cooking. They had helped their parents with most chores at home, so it was just a matter of applying that to a slightly bigger environment. Much bigger, actually, but that was outweighed by the benefits; in return, they would get a home and medical attention that was probably unattainable elsewhere.

"You'll also receive teaching if you choose to stay. Beatrice will further your education in reading, writing, math, history, and magic theory. Anything you want to learn."

He gave them an almost shy smile.

"What do you say?"

Suddenly, Ram felt that maybe this man was lonely. As a high level magician he probably had dozens of colleagues and admirers, but it seemed that he and Beatrice lived alone in this huge mansion. And the two had a master-servant relationship, not a romantic one. Perhaps he just wanted some more company. People to interact with.

For the third time, the twin oni exchanged a look. It was a rather easy decision. Ram could tell that Rem felt the same.

Ram acted as spokesperson.

"We accept your invitation. We look forward to working with you."

Roswaal smiled earnestly and with a little bit of relief.

"Looking forward to it as well."

.

And that was how Rem and Ram's life as maids started.

* * *

.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Stay tuned people, the story is far from over. Emilia will make an appearance. There will be lots of action. Suspense.**

 **Leave a review if you enjoyed any part of my writing. Leave a review if there's something you don't like. I'll take all the constructive criticism I can.**

 **Until next time!**

 **-Nekotite**


	5. Chapter 5

Hello readers,

It's been a while since I last updated this story. No crumby excuses; I'd decided to move on to other projects.

But! A friend of mine recently started writing fanfiction and inspired me to take up the pen once more. So here it is; chapter 5 of Frozen Time.

I will hopefully finish this story by the end of spring break!

Edited by Autonomee (writer/publisher on 'archive of our own', go check her out)

.

Chapter 5

.

Life as a caretaker of a large mansion was nothing like Rem had imagined, but she and her sister adapted quite well. Mornings were spent preparing breakfast and lunch, cleaning various areas of the house, and making sure supplies for food were in stock and other household maintenance was being met. Afternoons were spent taking care of Master Roswaal's various magical supplies. Whenever these needs were satisfied, Rem and Ram met with Beatrice for their studies. These ranged from history to spell theory, anatomy of various creatures to politics. With a brief respite for preparing dinner, lessons with Beatrice lasted until well after dark. Only then did Rem and Ram have a moment to themselves.

"Rem, how was your day?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, onee-chan." Rem considered telling her sister how she was not understanding advanced wind spell technique, but couldn't. The fact that Ram could no longer use magic proficiently was a huge elephant in the room that remained undiscussed.

"I see. Is... there anything you're struggling with?"

Rem could not meet her sister's warm, prodding eyes as she answered,

"No, everything's fine. The baker boy came in from town today and delivered delicious bread."

Unknown to Rem, Ram gave a little sigh.

"Well, you'll tell me if there was anything, right, Rem?"

"...Of course..."

And like that, most of the talking was done. They lay side-by-side in bed, hand clasped with one another's. There was a comfortable silence, but it was different from before. Rem was used to quiet times with her sister growing up, but these silences felt strange.

And of course things were different between them. Ram, the village prodigy, no longer had her horn while Rem, ever the klutzy one, still had hers. And so the silence stretched, neither twin knowing how to leap the gap between them.

It was these moments that Rem looked forward to, yet dreaded. Her sister was everything to her. As long as Ram was safe and healthy, Rem was satisfied. But she had no idea how to break the long yet comfortable silence between them when they spent time together. Ram had taken her sudden reversal of roles quite stoically and thrown herself into the duties of a maid; and while Rem had done the same, there was a quiet yet looming realization that while Ram had lost everything and Rem hadn't, Rem was the one that struggled. Sure, household chores came easier to her than they did to Ram, but in every other aspect Rem felt like she was falling short of expectations. Yet how could she reveal her insecurities to her sister who had suffered much more?

.

And so the days rolled on. Day after day, the twin oni cared for the mansion and studied. Ram gradually learned the finer points of cleaning and cooking, while Rem slowly grew in her capabilities as a spell caster and flail-user.

 _Emphasis on slowly_ , Rem thought. Years ago, she remembered Ram unleashing two wind hurricanes, one from each hand, combining to create a huge maelstrom that brought water to the crops for multiple acres in every direction. Present day Rem could only manifest a small hurricane (if it could even be called one) by focusing every nerve in her body.

Of course, this was without letting her horn appear. Rem knew that letting it appear would give her the ability to manipulate magic better, but it was not an option. Rem could not remember anything from the last times she had let her horn take over. Everything would become saturated with a dark red haze and she would lose consciousness, only to wake with blood on her hands. If she kept using her horn, it would only be a matter of time until she severely hurt someone important.

So Rem steadily practiced magic without calling on her horn.

Slowly, her control of wind and flail increased.

But one day, the horn, the dark power within her, spoke to Rem.

.

It was a slower afternoon. Most of the supplies had been delivered the day before so Rem started a few hours earlier than usual practicing wind magic on the lawn. Similar to her flail exercises, wooden dummies had been set up all around her. Each dummy held a single piece of coal in each hand. Her objective was to slice each coal piece in half with wind without touching a single splinter of the dummies. Already a dozen lay in pieces around her, some missing arms, some severed at the torso. Sweat lined her brow and her breathing was heavy.

"Fula!"

Another severed dummy's arm slumped to the ground, still holding the whole piece of coal.

 _Damn it._

It had been an ambitious objective. Beatrice had originally advised her to start slower, but Rem had been in a rut with the previous exercise. They decided that a challenge might kick-start Rem's magical manipulation ability. Rem had never tried to limit the area of effect of her wind blades before, so this challenge required a whole new set of control that she didn't have. It was like trying to flex muscles one had never used before. It wasn't going great, but Rem felt like she was getting closer with each try. She was getting more arms than entire torso's the more she attempted it.

Still, it was frustrating.

One more time.

"Fula!"

Then.

A single piece of coal erupted in black dust and covered the dummy that had been holding it. Rem's heart skipped a beat. Seconds passed, and the dummy didn't move. No arms slid down to the grass, no heads rolling to the floor, no pieces of torso flew off either.

The dummy remained whole.

Elation raced through Rem's body. However, as quickly as it did, a voice from inside her silenced it.

 _You want this power._

It was a cold, calculating voice. One that didn't sound completely unfamiliar, although Rem could not remember hearing it ever before.

 _You need this power._ It repeated. Not a question, a statement.

 _Who... what are you?_ Rem ventured, already knowing the answer.

 _We are the same, you and I. One whole being separated in two. An oni without her horn is not truly alive._

 _What do you want?_ Rem asked the horn, for that was what the voice was. She knew now where she had heard the voice before; every time she lost her body to the power of the horn, it would beckon her as it swelled up within her.

As it did now.

 _Take the power._

Rem shook her head.

 _It's yours, by birthright. An oni can only reach her full potential with her horn. Why do you reject it so?_

 _I can't control you. I can't afford to hurt my sister._

 _We would be one. We are not vying for control, Rem. We are one and the same._

 _That's not true. You take control of my body when I let you out._

 _Simply because you have not embraced the power yet. You try to reach into it, grab a part, and throw it crudely. If you immerse yourself... why, there would be nothing you could not do._

Rem closed her eyes and again shook her head.

 _I don't need your power._

 _We both know that's not completely true. There will come a time when Ram will need you more than ever, and you will need more strength than you currently have._

 _I can protect her myself!_

 ** _Can you_** _?_

 _..._

Rem revisited the scene of her burning home as a hooded figure leapt forward and sheared through her sister's horn at the base.

Rem saw her hornless sister standing over her, trying to keep the mabeasts at bay without a single inkling of mana left in her body.

Rem saw the burnt hand in the ruins of her house, still adorned with the ring her father had given to her mother on their anniversary.

 _Unite with me, and you will have all the power you need._

 _...No..._

 _You're afraid, but you don't need to be. We can protect your sister together._

 _I don't need you!_

 _Think about it. All the power you've dreamed of at your fingertips. You would be one of the strongest beings in Luginica – the reputation alone would be enough to discourage the spineless Witch cult from ever attacking you again. You will never live in fear again of losing your last family member, your dear, dear sister._

 _..._

 _Sleep on it, Rem. Remember, we are one and the same. For your sister, embrace this power that is yours!_

The voice receded into the depths of her mind. As it went, it left behind a miniscule spark of mana – a mere fragment of the tip of the iceberg. Rem felt the tiny sun of mana float within her being for a second. It then folded inwards and coded itself into a line of code, a spell –

A pop.

Rem opened her eyes.

Coal dust blew across the lawn and coated the still standing dummies in fine powder. A shiver ran through the young oni. Of the remaining twenty-something dummies, not a single one retained coal in their hands.

The curtain of black dust in the air seemed menacing yet beckoning.

Rem breathed in; to her it felt like her first breath in several minutes. She felt trepidation, but also elation, as well as something she hadn't felt in a long time...

.

Anticipation.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello again. Brief note; Emilia will make an appearance soon but Subaru will not (this is my idea of how Rem and Ram were before the anime).

This story should be another 3 or 4 chapters until the end. Hopefully all of them will be posted by the end of next week (if not this weekend).

Thanks again to the amazing Autonomee (writer/publisher on the Archive) for betaing this chapter!

Enjoy 3

.

Rem and Ram stood in front of Roswaal's study doors. They were thick, dark wood, and almost reached the ceiling. Undecipherable text and symbols swirled around the grains in the wood.

Ram watched as Rem took a deep breath.

Ram couldn't tell how her sister was feeling; this, to her, was a rare occasion. Rem was usually an open book to her. However, Ram felt that recently Rem had developed a slightly guarded attitude.

 _I really need to suggest that she go slower._ Ram thought. _She's pushing herself too hard._

Ram hoped that was all there was to it – stress brought on by wanting too much and gaining too little in terms of magical prowess. Something nagged at Ram but she couldn't quite place what it was. Something about what Rem had said earlier...

Ram shrugged it off. It could wait. This, however, couldn't.

Rem knocked resolutely.

.

The doors opened.

.

A voice from within.

"What price will you pay for your powers?"

.

"Anything but my sister." Rem strode forward and Ram followed.

.

"Then come, understand and decide."

.

.

 _Earlier at Dinner_

.

Roswaal set his fork and knife down on the plate and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Rem and Ram, another terrific dinner. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Master Roswaal." Rem and Ram responded in unison. They had started doing that recently for efficacy purposes. As employees of the mansion, they were one and the same, so they responded thusly.

 _Although_ _most of it was Rem's cooking._ Ram thought. _I need to get better at this._

With a nod, Roswaal stood up and moved to walk out. Rem and Ram each started reaching for the plates to clean up. As if he had remembered something, Roswaal paused mid-step and turned back to them.

"Rem and Ram, a moment please."

"Yes, Master Roswaal." The twin oni stopped their movements and stood at attention. Ram wondered what it could be. It was somewhat rare for the magician to request their attention.

The magician spoke in his strange inflection.

"I've finished analyzing your mana residue and blood configurations. I won't bore you with the details but in short, there is something we can do about Rem's powers. Before I get your hopes up," he added somewhat hastily seeing Rem's eyes widen, "If you choose to take it, there will be a price to pay. It's –"

"I'll pay it." Rem interjected. Ram inadvertently gasped. She had never heard Rem interrupt someone while they were talking.

Roswaal paused, also clearly surprised.

"I'll pay it." Rem repeated.

Intense determination and will burned in those three words. Fire burned in Rem's azure blue eyes. Roswaal sighed. The choice given to this young oni was not a fair one at all.

"Come to my study later tonight, after your chores and studies with Beatrice are finished. We will discuss what's necessary then."

Roswaal tore his gaze away from Rem's intense eyes and walked out of the room.

Ram reached towards Rem but faltered when she saw her sister's fists clenched at her sides. Evidently, even Ram hadn't realized the full extent to which Rem yearned to gain control of her powers.

 _How much is she willing to sacrifice?_

Shaking her doubts, Ram embraced her sister. The tension in her twin's body was as taught as a tightrope. Slowly, the rigidity in Rem's body loosened and she relaxed into Ram's embrace.

"I could be whole again." Rem whispered.  
Ram wondered what that meant. If anyone could be made whole, it would be Ram, wouldn't it? There was not a single inkling of bitterness in Ram about losing her horn. She had lost it saving her sister and would do it all over again, but she knew Rem still did not see it that way. Ram knew that some part of Rem still blamed herself for the incident, which was why Rem pushed so hard to master her magic and flail. But what did Rem mean about being whole again?

"Rem?"

Rem turned to her, a small smile on her face. A single teardrop glistened at the corner of her blue eyes.

"Onee-chan..."

Rem wrapped her arms around sister. Ram embraced her back and Rem's shoulders shook with teary sniffles.

 _Tears of... happiness? Relief?_

Part of Ram was scared that she couldn't read her sister that well these days. It was off-putting. There had been times in the past when the twins had grown slightly apart, when Rem and Ram weren't in sync as they usually were; those periods only lasted a couple of days at most. Ram had always written off those episodes as part of growing up, and she hoped this was the same.

Looking back on this moment, Ram would perpetually wonder whether she could have prevented the storm that would strike in the coming days.

.

 _Present, Roswaal's Study_

.

Roswaal stood at the window with his back to the twin oni.

"Rem, you've come to understand how to better control your powers."

"Yes, Master Roswaal." Rem replied. Ram stood behind her silently.

"Nothing in this world comes for free. Especially things that have the mark of magic."

Roswaal turned to them. For once, there was a grave look on his face.

"I paid my own price for my influence and power." Roswaal's eyes glinted a dark purple and green. "Throughout this long life I've led, there isn't a single day when I don't think back to that moment and wonder. _If_. What if I had taken the other choice? Armed with the knowledge I have now, would I make the same decision?"

The magician paced to his long, simple wooden desk and laid his hands on the surface. Leaning forward on his arms, he asked in an uncharacteristically solemn voice.

"Rem, would you know the price you must pay for your power?"

Rem stiffened. Ram clasped her hands together in front of her chest.

 _Please let it be something small._

"I would." Rem replied, her voice sounding small but firm.

The magician was silent for a minute. Ram could have cut the tension in the room with a knife.

The silence lasted. Ram could hear her own heartbeat growing in pace.

At long last, the magician spoke.

But they were words neither Ram nor Rem had been ready for.

"You can gain control of your horn by unlinking its association with the Witch cult within your memories. The severance spell is rather easy to apply. However," Roswaal stared unblinkingly at Rem, "By severing the horn from your memories, you have to lose one side or the other.

"By choosing the power of the horn, you will lose most of the memories of your early life."

.

.

.

.

Rem sat alone on a bench on the lawn. Ram had sat with her for a while but had gone inside because she understood that Rem needed time to herself.

The night sky twinkled with dozens of stars. The summer wind was like a playful dog that whirled and nipped harmlessly. Crickets and frogs sang harmonies to the swaying grasses and rustling leaves, and only the faint smell of roses colored the breeze.

Rem was still. She could hear the magician's voice in her mind echoing over and over.

The horn or your memories.

How unfair.

 _How can I possibly give up my memories?_

A familiar voice interjected from within the recesses of her mind.

 _You don't need to give up your memories to be whole, Rem._

 _Aren't you angry I tried to go behind your back?_

 _Of course not. You're a clever girl and it's only right that you use all the resources you have – it's only a matter of time before you claim your birthright too._

 _The cost of doing it your way would be just as high._

 _Do you know that?_ The voice countered. _An oni and her horn are one. It is unnatural that you have subconsciously split us in two._

 _Because of my memories of the Witch cult?_ Rem thought _._

 _Yes. The trauma of seeing your home and family burn was too much to bear. Your mind broke us apart in an attempt to suppress the shock._

 _Then why couldn't I just lose the memories of that night?_

 _Memories are a complicated web of interconnected strands. By taking away one strand, you would inadvertently untangle the entire web._

 _..._

 _Life isn't fair._ Rem sighed hollowly.

 _You're right, little one. It's up to you to use what resources you have to protect what you hold closest to your heart._

With that, the voice receded into the dark corners of Rem's mind.

The dark blue sky was now streaked with orange and yellow from the rising sun. Morning birds began twittering their morning songs as the lawn grew from dark dull green to emerald, the grass catching and reflecting the sunlight.

It was a warm beautiful morning but the sliver of ice in Rem's heart stayed cold and dark.


End file.
